Hip hip hooray! The Muni wires will stay!

In a swift defeat of what could very well be the dumbest idea to hit San Francisco ever (and there sure is stiff competition in that realm), the Super Bowl planning committee has withdrawn their own plan to remove Muni’s overhead trolley wires around Justin Herman Plaza.

A representative of the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee apparently said in a phone call to Supervisor Jane Kim’s office that after some analysis the committee decided it would not move through with plans to remove Muni wires.

There was no mention during the phone call of the public backlash to the plan, according to Kim’s office.

Great news, although, as Market Street Railway points out, the F-Market route will essentially be cut in half, with bus substitutes running west up Market Street and streetcars remaining along the Embarcadero. Several bus routes will be rerouted as well.

About the wires, though, Kim had this to say:

“I’m gratified that the Super Bowl 50 committee took another look at the idea of removing overhead Muni wires for the Super Bowl festival, and decided not to pursue that idea. The impact on commute times and work productivity for the folks that make San Francisco work would have been burdensome, not to mention the possible consequences for bicyclist and pedestrian safety. Those were my greatest concerns, so I’m happy that this was resolved.”

I checked the petition’s page at Change.org and they claimed victory after 932 signatures and a posted announcement from the Super Bowl Host Committee that they were changing their plans, allowing the wires to stay up.